Buffalo Silver Rounds

The Buffalo Silver Round is a generic silver round produced at various private mints. A silver "round" is different from a silver "coin" because it is not legal tender and carries no face value. A coin is legal tender and is produced by a government mint. The design for the Buffalo Silver Round originates from sculptor James Earle Fraser’s original 1913 Indian Head Nickel, considered by many to be among the best of any U.S. coin designs. Fraser studied under sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, well known for the artwork on the American Gold Eagle coin. The obverse of the Buffalo Silver Round features the right profile of a Native American. The word, “Liberty” is printed toward the top right of the round.

The reverse features the left profile of an American Bison standing on top of a small mound of dirt. It is rumored to be a sketch of a buffalo by the name of Black Diamond in the Central Park Zoo at the time of James Earle Fraser’s creation of the Indian Head Nickel. Most Buffalo Silver Rounds will include an inscription of the weight and purity, but the design may vary depending on the round’s mint of origin.

The Buffalo Silver Round is 39 mm in diameter and 2.98 mm thick.